PDI Insights Cloud Broadens Ability to Serve Retailers and CPGs Globally with On-Demand Data and Analytics

The offering provides access to a vast ecosystem of real-time basket data powered by years of business intelligence that improves profitability


ATLANTA-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- PDI (www.pdisoftware.com), a global provider of ERP, Fuel Pricing, Logistics and Marketing Cloud solutions for the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale industries, today announced it has enhanced its Offers and Insights business capabilities with PDI Insights Cloud, formerly SwiftIQ, to include real-time data and analytics that can help support convenience and fuel retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands as they begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insights Cloud is now available to global convenience retailers and CPG (known internationally as fast-moving consumer goods) brands, giving them the ability to monitor daily and weekly trends as well as access more granular, receipt-level data. The solution also provides CPGs with data from chain and independent operators. Understanding shopper behavior changes, including basket size and items, is key to driving growth and delivering relevant offers to consumers.

Businesses using Insights Cloud can do the following:

Access real-time, automated basket-level data and insights

Gain a deeper understanding of shopper behavior

Refine loyalty and promotion programs

Measure return on investment

Competitive pressure, tight margins, limited visibility, and rapid changes in customer behavior make managing and measuring sales, loyalty programs, and promotions more important than ever. Insights Cloud provides an automated platform that delivers timely data and insights to help businesses grow and maximize profits.

“We invested in a solution that is intuitive, flexible and, above all, fast, so our customers feel empowered to make profitable business decisions with confidence,” said Jamie Hudson, senior vice president and general manager, Offers and Insights, PDI.

Insights Cloud currently serves independents, chains and CPGs representing thousands of locations. Learn more about Insights Cloud here.

About PDI
Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI) helps convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers thrive through digital transformation and enterprise software that enables them to grow topline revenue, optimize operations and unify their business across the entire value chain. Over 1,500 customers in more than 200,000 locations worldwide count on our leading ERP, logistics, fuel pricing and marketing cloud solutions to provide insights that increase volume, margin and customer loyalty. PDI owns and operates the Fuel Rewards® loyalty program that is consistently ranked as a top-performing fuel savings program year after year. For more than 35 years, our comprehensive suite of solutions and unmatched expertise have helped customers of any size reimagine their enterprise and deliver exceptional customer experiences. For more information about PDI, visit www.pdisoftware.com.

Contacts
Cederick Johnson, PDI
+1 254.410.7600 I cjohnson@pdisoftware.com





ATLANTA-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- PDI (www.pdisoftware.com), a global provider of ERP, Fuel Pricing, Logistics and Marketing Cloud solutions for the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale industries, today announced it has enhanced its Offers and Insights business capabilities with PDI Insights Cloud, formerly SwiftIQ, to include real-time data and analytics that can help support convenience and fuel retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands as they begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insights Cloud is now available to global convenience retailers and CPG (known internationally as fast-moving consumer goods) brands, giving them the ability to monitor daily and weekly trends as well as access more granular, receipt-level data. The solution also provides CPGs with data from chain and independent operators. Understanding shopper behavior changes, including basket size and items, is key to driving growth and delivering relevant offers to consumers.

Businesses using Insights Cloud can do the following:

Access real-time, automated basket-level data and insights

Gain a deeper understanding of shopper behavior

Refine loyalty and promotion programs

Measure return on investment

Competitive pressure, tight margins, limited visibility, and rapid changes in customer behavior make managing and measuring sales, loyalty programs, and promotions more important than ever. Insights Cloud provides an automated platform that delivers timely data and insights to help businesses grow and maximize profits.

“We invested in a solution that is intuitive, flexible and, above all, fast, so our customers feel empowered to make profitable business decisions with confidence,” said Jamie Hudson, senior vice president and general manager, Offers and Insights, PDI.

Insights Cloud currently serves independents, chains and CPGs representing thousands of locations. Learn more about Insights Cloud here.

About PDI
Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI) helps convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers thrive through digital transformation and enterprise software that enables them to grow topline revenue, optimize operations and unify their business across the entire value chain. Over 1,500 customers in more than 200,000 locations worldwide count on our leading ERP, logistics, fuel pricing and marketing cloud solutions to provide insights that increase volume, margin and customer loyalty. PDI owns and operates the Fuel Rewards® loyalty program that is consistently ranked as a top-performing fuel savings program year after year. For more than 35 years, our comprehensive suite of solutions and unmatched expertise have helped customers of any size reimagine their enterprise and deliver exceptional customer experiences. For more information about PDI, visit www.pdisoftware.com.

Contacts
Cederick Johnson, PDI
+1 254.410.7600 I cjohnson@pdisoftware.com

PMI Reports 2019 ESG Performance in Its First Integrated Report

Demonstrates Strong Progress Toward Delivering a Smoke-Free Future; Reaffirms and Broadens 2025 Aspirational Targets



LAUSANNE, Switzerland-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today published its first Integrated Report, a comprehensive overview of the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and its progress toward delivering a smoke-free future—including the company’s ambition to switch more than 40 million adult smokers to its smoke-free products by 2025, with half of the total to come from non-OECD countries.

PMI’s Integrated Report 2019 demonstrates the role of the organization's strategy, governance, and performance in the creation of value over the short, medium, and long terms. Further, the report shows PMI’s approach and important progress in various ESG areas, while setting new and ambitious targets for 2025 that complement the company’s prior aspirations. The Integrated Report also highlights the company’s most material sustainability topics, including the health impacts of the company’s products, an aspect often not captured by external ESG assessments. The report focuses on this key area, and describes how the company is working to reduce the harm caused by tobacco use by replacing combustible products with scientifically substantiated reduced-risk alternatives.

PMI’s evolution from sustainability reporting to integrated reporting helps investors make the connection between our product-focused sustainability initiatives, which form the core of our ESG strategy, and our financial performance over time. The report also enables the company’s stakeholders to better evaluate the company’s progress in achieving its purpose. PMI’s Statement of Purpose, adopted by the company’s Board of Directors earlier this year and published in its 2020 proxy statement, is also available in the Integrated Report.

“Clarity of purpose is essential for the internal alignment of any company. Since we announced our smoke-free commitment in 2016, we have made enormous progress in terms of organizational capabilities, the integration of sustainability into every aspect of our transformation, and our business,” said André Calantzopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, PMI. “PMI’s Statement of Purpose reaffirms our commitment to deliver a smoke-free future for the benefit of people who would otherwise continue to smoke and, hence, to global public health. It is clear to all of us at PMI that the biggest positive impact our company can have on society is to replace cigarettes with less harmful alternatives; this is at the very core of our corporate strategy and sits atop our sustainability priorities while we are progressing well on all others.”

The Integrated Report 2019 demonstrates how PMI is focusing its resources on developing, scientifically substantiating, and responsibly commercializing smoke-free products that are a better choice than continued smoking, with the aim of completely replacing cigarettes as soon as possible. The company believes that, with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, cigarette sales can end within 10 to 15 years in many countries.

In 2016, PMI introduced a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), referred to as Business Transformation Metrics, to transparently measure and verify its progress toward a world without cigarettes. In 2019, we continued to expand this set of metrics.

Highlights from our 2019 performance across these metrics include:

PMI continued to shift significant resources toward delivering a smoke-free future, with 98 percent of total R&D expenditure and 71 percent of total commercial expenditure directed toward smoke-free products in 2019.
PMI’s smoke-free product net revenues reached 18.7 percent of total net revenues in 2019, compared to 2.7 percent in 2016; by 2025 the company aspires to have 38 to 42 percent of total net revenues coming from smoke-free products. In 2019, net revenues from smoke-free products already exceeded 50 percent of total net revenues in four markets.
PMI’s smoke-free product shipment volume increased to approximately 60 billion units, up from 7.7 billion in 2016 with an aspiration of more than 250 billion units by 2025. PMI’s combustible product shipment volume in 2019 declined to 732 billion units, down from 845 billion in 2016, partly reflecting the impact of adult smokers switching to our smoke-free products.
Since announcing our smoke-free vision in 2016, PMI has delisted over 600 cigarette SKUs globally, while significantly broadening our portfolio of heated tobacco units, to over 400 SKUs.
At year-end 2019, there were an estimated 9.7 million users worldwide who have stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heat-not-burn smoke-free product IQOS, compared to 6.6 million in 2018. PMI’s vision of a smoke-free future is a global and inclusive one, aiming to provide access to better alternatives to all smokers around the world. Approximately half of PMI’s global cigarette sales volume is in non-OECD countries. We therefore aspire that over 20 million smokers in non-OECD countries switch to our smoke-free products by 2025, half of our global aspiration of over 40 million users by that time.
ESG highlights from the Integrated Report 2019 include:

In 2019, PMI conducted a comprehensive and critical review of the company’s commercial activities related to product marketing and sales activities. The study’s findings were published in December 2019 in a report, Responsible Marketing Practices, on PMI.com. By the end of 2020, PMI aims for youth access prevention (YAP) programs to be in place in markets representing over 90 percent of PMI’s total shipment volume; by 2023, PMI aims to have 100 percent of PMI’s portfolio of electronic smoke-free devices equipped with age-verification technology.
In 2019, PMI continued to assess and mitigate environmental risks and impacts across its value chain including a 42 percent absolute reduction of CO2e scope 1+2+3 compared to its 2010 baseline; 72 percent of electricity used and purchased within PMI factories was from renewable sources; PMI has committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its direct operations (scope 1+2) by 2030 and across the company’s entire value chain (scope 1+2+3) by 2050.
PMI continued to focus on the well-being of its tobacco farming communities: In 2019 we did not find any incidents of child labor in over 99 percent of the more than 300,000 tobacco farms monitored. The company aims by 2025 to have zero child labor in its tobacco supply chain, including by ensuring that 100 percent of contracted tobacco farmers make a living income.
Huub Savelkouls, Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “Our Integrated Report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of what PMI is about, combined with a holistic set of metrics that go beyond our financial disclosures, covering our business transformation, as well as environmental, social, and governance topics. We support and seek to align with GRI, SASB, and TCFD disclosure standards, enabling all stakeholders to benchmark our strategy and performance.”

Download the full Integrated Report 2019 at PMI.com/IntegratedReport2019. Additional information on the company’s sustainable actions, aspirational targets, and commitments are available on PMI.com/Sustainability.

Aspirational targets and goals do not constitute financial projections, and achievement of future results are subject to risks, uncertainties, and inaccurate assumptions, as outlined in the forward-looking and cautionary statements on page 189 of the Integrated Report 2019. Key terms, definitions, and explanatory notes are set forth in the Integrated Report 2019. In the 2019 Integrated Report and in related communications, the term “materiality,” “material,” and similar terms, when used in the context of economic, environmental and social topics, are defined in the referenced sustainability standards, and are not meant to correspond to the concept of materiality under the U.S. securities laws and/or disclosures required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the U.S. under license. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI’s smoke-free IQOS product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 10.6 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 53 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit http://www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

Contacts
Daniella Weinberg
Philip Morris International
+1 484.433.0447
Daniella.Weinberg@pmi.com





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Narkasa to Let Investors Buy Crypto in Currency of Their Choice

 Within the last six months, the number of those investing in cryptocurrency has risen by 20 percent, due to recent declines in global markets. Narkasa, a recently launched cryptocurrency exchange based in Istanbul, hopes to soon let its clients conduct transactions in 156 national currencies.

ISTANBUL-Wednesday 1 July 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The global cryptocurrency market is currently worth almost $265 billion, with nearly $70 billion in transactions carried out every day. Meanwhile, 314 cryptocurrency exchanges are now in operation worldwide, according to Coinmarketcap. At most of these exchanges, however, cryptocurrencies can only be bought with US dollars or euros.

But this isn’t the case with Narkasa, an Istanbul-based cryptocurrency exchange that allows investors to buy crypto-assets with a number of different currencies. What’s more, the new service is offering a 50-percent fee discount on all transactions carried out within 90 days of its launch.

‘156 currencies from around the world’
With cutting-edge technology and services available in 12 languages, Narkasa provides investors with a platform for fast and secure cryptocurrency trading in a range of currencies. “Along with the dollar and euro, Narkasa supports transactions in Russian rubles, Ukrainian hryvnias, Brazilian reals, Kazakhstani tenges, and Turkish liras,” Narkasa CEO Erdal Kaya said.

“And we’re planning to expand our operations further to allow crypto-trading in 156 different national currencies,” he added. “Unlike most other exchanges, Narkasa will allow investors to purchase cryptocurrency from whatever country they happen live.”

Safe, reliable cryptocurrency trading
Narkasa doesn’t charge any commissions on the purchase of cryptocurrency through its platform and also guarantees that all its clients’ personal data is safe and secure. Regularly assessed by independent auditing companies, the firm operates in accordance with the EU’s anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing laws, while also adhering to “know your customer” guidelines.

Moreover, through the use of API technology, Narkasa provides a platform for algorithmic cryptocurrency trading. This allows clients to manage their investments using artificial intelligence specifically designed to protect against abrupt market fluctuations.

Cryptos taking world by storm
The number of cryptocurrencies now in use currently stands at 2,687, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Ripple accounting for 82 percent of total trade volume, which continues to surge at a dizzying pace. The proliferation of cryptocurrency exchanges, meanwhile, has led to a dramatic rise in the number of those investing in the sought-after commodity.

Contacts

Tulay Genc
support@b2press.com
+31 30 799 6022

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Interactive Brokers Appoints Nicole Yuen to its Board of Directors

GREENWICH, Conn.-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Board of Directors of Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IBKR) today announced the appointment of Nicole Yuen as an independent director of the firm effective July 1, 2020.

“Nicole Yuen has deep expertise in building and managing top-ranked securities businesses in Asia and is known for her pioneering efforts in internationalizing China’s capital market,” said Thomas Peterffy, Chairman of the Board for Interactive Brokers Group. “Asia is an important and growing market for our firm, so we are particularly fortunate to have someone with Nicole’s knowledge and experience on our board.”

A seasoned investment banker with more than 20 years’ experience, Ms. Yuen most recently served as Managing Director, Head of Equities – North Asia and Vice Chairman – Greater China for Credit Suisse. During her 6-year tenure, she led the build-out of Credit Suisse’s brokerage business in mainland China and oversaw the bank’s equities business in North Asia.

Before joining Credit Suisse, Ms. Yuen worked at UBS for 18 years and oversaw the firm’s equities business in Hong Kong and led the expansion of the business into mainland China. Earlier in her career, Ms. Yuen served on the China Securities Regulatory Commission Listing Committee and practiced law in the US, UK, and Hong Kong. She served as a partner at Clifford Chance and worked for Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.

During her career in investment banking and equity capital markets, Ms. Yuen led high profile capital market fundraising transactions in the Greater China region, including the first H share, Red chip and B share listings, as well as landmark government privatizations in Hong Kong.

Ms. Yuen is active in public duties. Among others, she serves as a member of the Process Review Panel of the Hong Kong Government Securities and Futures Commission, a member of the Advisory Board of the Hong Kong Government Census and Statistics Department as well as a member of the Operations Review Committee of the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption. She is a graduate of University of Hong Kong and Harvard Law School.

About Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.:

Interactive Brokers Group affiliates provide automated trade execution and custody of securities, commodities, and foreign exchange around the clock on over 135 markets in numerous countries and currencies, from a single IBKR Integrated Investment Account to clients worldwide. We service individual investors, hedge funds, proprietary trading groups, financial advisors and introducing brokers. Our four decades of focus on technology and automation has enabled us to equip our clients with a uniquely sophisticated platform to manage their investment portfolios. We strive to provide our clients with advantageous execution prices and trading, risk and portfolio management tools, research facilities and investment products, all at low or no cost, positioning them to achieve superior returns on investments. Barron’s ranked Interactive Brokers #1 with 5 out of 5 stars in its February 24, 2020, Best Online Broker Review.

Contacts

For Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.
Investors: Nancy Stuebe, 203-618-4070
Media: Kalen Holliday, 203-618-4069 or media@ibkr.com


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Panasonic Receives Highest Award of Brand Design at the Automotive Brand Contest 2020

OSAKA, Japan-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On June 30, 2020, Panasonic Corporation announced that it has received the highest accolade as Best of Best in the Brand Design category at the Automotive Brand Contest 2020, which is organized by German Design Council (Rat für Formgebung). The award was given in recognition of the concept and design of the Panasonic Automotive business brand. The official award ceremony is planned to take place in autumn 2020.

The Automotive Brand Contest is the only international design competition for automotive brands. The German Design Council, founded in 1953, also runs internationally renowned design awards, such as the German Design Award and the ICONIC Awards.

The Automotive Brand Contest covers all creative aspects in the automotive industry across the world – from vehicle design to corporate publishing. This year's winners also include global brands, such as Audi, BMW, Buick, Byton, Continental, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Panasonic is the first Japanese automotive supplier to be awarded Best of Best in the contest’s history which started in 2011.

In praise of Panasonic Automotive’s brand design, the contest jury said, “The consistent appearance in light blue and green unobtrusively underscores the clear positioning of the Panasonic Automotive brand, where it transitions from a vision into reality, from innovation to automotive solutions, thus becoming convincingly tangible.”

The development of the brand’s concept and design was initiated in Europe from the spring of 2017. The process adopted a collaborative approach with clients. Brand concept and design was developed through basing on clients’ image and expectation on Panasonic. Additionally, several options were reviewed by clients as well as automotive media persons before making the final decision.

Panasonic Automotive’s brand concept and design is adopted not only in Europe but also globally, including China and Japan. It was first presented at its booth at the Shanghai Motor Show in April 2019.

Panasonic continues to strive to enhance the recognition and understandings of its automotive business through the Panasonic Automotive brand and increase the brand value of the company.

About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a global leader developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B sectors. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, operates 528 subsidiaries and 72 associated companies worldwide and reported consolidated net sales of 7.49 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2020. Committed to pursuing new value through collaborative innovation, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for customers. Learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global.

Source: https://news.panasonic.com/global/topics/2020/79235.html

Related Links
Automotive Company, Panasonic Corporation
https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/am.html

Panasonic Business Brands
https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/brand/our-brand/business_brand.html

Automotive Brand Contest 2020
https://www.automotive-brand-contest.de/en.html

[Press Release] Toyota and Panasonic Decide to Establish Joint Venture Specializing in Automotive Prismatic Batteries (Feb 3, 2020)
https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2020/02/en200203-4/en200203-4.html

[Press Release] Panasonic Develops a Driverless Automated Valet Parking System and a Large Screen AR-HUD (Oct 11, 2019)
https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2019/10/en191011-2/en191011-2.html

[Press Release] Panasonic to Showcase Booth at 26th ITS World Congress Singapore 2019 (Oct 10, 2019)
https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2019/10/en191010-3/en191010-3.html

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/52241710/en

Contacts
Panasonic Corporation
Global Communications Department
Global PR Office
Click here to go to Media Contact form

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FINEOS Welcomes F&G as New Customer

F&G to use FINEOS Claims, a major component of FINEOS AdminSuite, the only modern component-based group and individual core system for Life, Accident and Health on a single technology platform

ATLANTA-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- FINEOS Corporation (ASX:FCL), the leading core platform for life, accident and health insurance globally, is delighted to announce today it has signed a new license agreement with F&G. They will use FINEOS Claims in their life and annuity claims processes.

FINEOS Claims is the leading customer-centric, web-based claims processing software. Used globally by many leading insurance organizations and a major product component of the FINEOS AdminSuite, FINEOS Claims supports both group and individual claims on the cloud native FINEOS Platform. It has been deployed by carriers of all sizes, from small departmental claims teams to large teams with thousands of users and millions of claims.

Commenting on the deal, CEO Michael Kelly said: “We are delighted F&G has chosen to work with FINEOS to enhance their claims service. We look forward to a fast and smooth system implementation to enable the benefits of using FINEOS as early as possible. This partnership continues to strengthen and consolidate our market leadership.”

Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, F&G is a leading provider of annuity and life insurance products.

About FINEOS Corporation

FINEOS is a leading provider of core systems for life, accident and health insurers globally with 7 of the 10 largest group life and health carriers in the US as well as 6 of the largest life insurers in Australia. With employees and offices throughout the world, FINEOS continues to scale rapidly, working with innovative progressive insurers in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

The FINEOS Platform provides clients full end to end core insurance administration and includes the FINEOS AdminSuite core product suite as well as add-on products, FINEOS Engage to support digital engagement and FINEOS Insight for analytics and reporting.

For more information, visit www.FINEOS.com.

Contacts
Victoria Jamison
Marketing Manager
FINEOS Corporation
+ 353 1 639 9767
Victoria.Jamison@FINEOS.com

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Ground Station Opens to Track Satellite Built by AURAK Students

Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates-Tuesday 30 June 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

A ground station that will track and communicate with a satellite built by American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) students has opened on the University’s campus.

The ground station is capable of communicating with satellites in orbit by sending commands and receiving telemetry, images and science data back from them.

The satellite project is a collaboration between the UAE Space Agency, AURAK and Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KUST).

Among those present at the opening of the ground station were AURAK’s President, Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, Senior Vice President and Provost, Prof. Stephen Wilhite, Acting Vice President of Operational Excellence and Financial Management, Dr. Mohammed Saqr Al Zaabi, and Interim Dean of the School of Engineering, Dr. Hamed Assaf.

“The ground station was fully built by AURAK engineers and students. The station will be used to communicate with MeznSat, the university’s first nanosatellite. The ground station will also be used by faculty and students to track and receive data from other satellites,” said Dr. Abdul-Halim Jallad, Director and Assistant Professor, Center of Information, Communication and Networking Education and Innovation (ICONET).

“The opening of the AURAK Satellite Ground Station is another achieved milestone on the path of AURAK becoming a major hub in the area of space engineering in the UAE and the region. With the addition of the satellite ground station, the space lab at AURAK is now fully equipped with all major resources required to build and operate nanosatellites which also includes an ISO 7 cleanroom and other satellite ground support equipment,” Dr. Jallad added.

The satellite is scheduled for launch on a Soyuz-2 rocket from Russia in September 2020. When the satellite is in orbit, students will process and analyze the data from the newly opened ground station on the AURAK campus.

“I’m really proud of what our team and students, led by Dr. Jallad, have achieved so far. It’s an achievement for the country, not only for the university or the Emirate, and it shows how much this country, the United Arab Emirates, has advanced in this sector, education,” Professor Hassan said. “And now with the government emphasis on space, not only has an astronaut been sent into space, but there is also a satellite 100% manufactured in the UAE that is going to go into space.”

The MeznSat Nano-satellite is designed to detect greenhouse gas concentrations from orbit. Using a visible camera as well as a shortwave infrared spectrometer, it will measure the abundance and distribution of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It will also provide information on the concentration of nutrients in the coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf. This will allow more accurate predictions of algal blooms and support the timely implementation of precautionary measures.

MeznSat is the first student-built scientific satellite in the UAE. The project aims at providing the UAE space industry with qualified well-trained graduates through hands-on experience, while at the same time opening up opportunities for advanced space-oriented research relevant to the UAE.

Contacts
American University of Ras Al Khaimah

Maryam Albloushi

Department of Communications and Public Relations

Tel: +971 7 2468803

Email: maryam.albloushi@aurak.ac.ae







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